GETTING IT BACK
Red Hot Russians #3
Elizabeth Harmon
Released April 4th, 2016
Carina Press
BUY NOW
In
this second-chance romance, a former top men's figure skating champion is
willing to risk everything for a comeback--except a new start with his long
lost love.
An unexpected phone call from the
man who broke her heart offers Amy Shepherd an opportunity to return to the
work she loves, training elite figure skaters. Except it’s just one figure
skater: Him. Can she finally forgive and forget?
Figure skater Mikhail “Misha” Zaikov
once had it all: medals, money and the adoration of millions. But a devastating
injury put an end to his career and his romance, leaving him with nothing but
regret over what could have been. His last chance to re-join the world’s top
skaters is now. And there’s only one person who can help him: Her.
On Russia’s unyielding ice,
Misha must reclaim what he's lost while facing off against a talented young
rival and risking further injury. But Amy soon discovers Misha's much bigger
challenges lurk off the ice. And she's determined to keep Misha whole and
healthy, even if doing so ends his shot at the gold.
The next morning, Amy awoke first. Misha lay beside her in bed, still sleeping. He’d brought over clothes last night. His toothbrush was in the bathroom cabinet. This was just like back in Ohio, only better. Misha was no longer searching for direction. He knew what he wanted, and they were working together to help him achieve it. But she couldn’t deny that she was nervous about what would happen today, when he returned to training on the ice.
She got out of bed, and changed into her running clothes, put coffee on, then returned to wake Misha. “Hey,” she sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook his shoulder. “Time for our run.”
“Nyet,” he said in a sleepy voice, and reached for her.
“You agreed to it last night. Nothing too strenuous, just enough to get your heart pumping and muscles working.”
“Don’t need running to make my heart pump,” he pulled her down onto the bed, cupping her butt through her black running tights. “As for muscles…maybe we can stay in and work this big stiff one?”
She laughed and squirmed away. “Nice try, but that muscle’s getting plenty of exercise. Rise and shine, big guy.”
She threw back the blankets, leaving him no choice but to fumble around for his pants. She waited outside and he joined her a few minutes later. They took off at an easy pace, following the path behind the center’s main buildings, then out around the pond and back. Nothing too strenuous, just as she’d promised. Their lungs filled with clean fresh air, the morning mist was cool on their skin. They returned to the guesthouse and she bent over her knees, breathing out cold air. Misha did the same. He straightened easily. “How is your back,” she said.
“Perfect. No pain at all.”
“And the rest of you? Knees? Head?”
“Knees are fine, and my head is in good place, too. Thanks to you, Amy the tiger.”
She grinned, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. “Ready to get back on the ice?”
“Can’t wait,” he said decisively.
“You’re going to be great.”
He brushed a kiss across her lips. “For you, I will be.”
Wow! This book is not what I expected it to be! Although it does have a second chance romance vibe...the story was more about character development and finding one's true self. It is quite refreshing, taking a break from hot and heavy romances.
Thoughts:
PLOT LINE - It may or may not have been fate when Misha Zaikov needed Amy Shepherd's help in getting his life together. It all started with a pain in his back. An injury that never fully healed, caused by an figure skating accident, freezing up his body when he least expects it. As the stiffness got worse, he couldn't help but call the one person who can truly help him. Even when he broke her heart all those years ago. Amy Shepherd didn't know what to think of the text she received. A text from the one person she once loved. A person who rejected her. As a physical therapist, when a person is in pain, ex or no ex, she'll have to do what's right and help. It took me a while to get into the story. Although it got a great hook in the beginning, it kinda dragged a bit in the first half of the book. As it progresses, the second half of the book was filled with a bit of drama while Misha gets his life back on track. A life he imagined before the injury.
CHEMISTRY - There was major chemistry. Not hot and heavy chemistry. But this attraction that links Misha and Amy together. No matter how hard they tried to keep it professional between an athlete and physical trainer, they can't help but care about each other on a personal level. Yes, they did have a romantic past. It's just hard to put that aside when they work alongside each other. When they do get to those sexy times...it is pretty sexy ;)
MISHA'S JOURNEY - It's what really stood out in the book! He goes through different trials in the book that involves his injuries and his past. His past consisting of: a woman he never forgot, a father he never reconciled with, and a coach he never went up against. But when they all collide at once, he'll have to figure out what are the most important factors in his life. The ending is so adorable!
3 TIGER STARS
She got out of bed, and changed into her running clothes, put coffee on, then returned to wake Misha. “Hey,” she sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook his shoulder. “Time for our run.”
“Nyet,” he said in a sleepy voice, and reached for her.
“You agreed to it last night. Nothing too strenuous, just enough to get your heart pumping and muscles working.”
“Don’t need running to make my heart pump,” he pulled her down onto the bed, cupping her butt through her black running tights. “As for muscles…maybe we can stay in and work this big stiff one?”
She laughed and squirmed away. “Nice try, but that muscle’s getting plenty of exercise. Rise and shine, big guy.”
She threw back the blankets, leaving him no choice but to fumble around for his pants. She waited outside and he joined her a few minutes later. They took off at an easy pace, following the path behind the center’s main buildings, then out around the pond and back. Nothing too strenuous, just as she’d promised. Their lungs filled with clean fresh air, the morning mist was cool on their skin. They returned to the guesthouse and she bent over her knees, breathing out cold air. Misha did the same. He straightened easily. “How is your back,” she said.
“Perfect. No pain at all.”
“And the rest of you? Knees? Head?”
“Knees are fine, and my head is in good place, too. Thanks to you, Amy the tiger.”
She grinned, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. “Ready to get back on the ice?”
“Can’t wait,” he said decisively.
“You’re going to be great.”
He brushed a kiss across her lips. “For you, I will be.”
Looking for more RED HOT RUSSIANS?
Elizabeth
Harmon loves to read and write romances with a dash of different.
A graduate
of the University of Illinois, she has worked in advertising, community
journalism and as a freelance magazine writer. She feels incredibly blessed to
have a career that allows her to spend her days imagining “what if?” and a
loving family that keeps her grounded in the real world. Her debut novel, Pairing Off is a 2016 RITA
Award Finalist.
An
adventurous cook, vintage home enthusiast, occasional actress, and entry-level
figure skater, Elizabeth makes her home in the Midwest, where life is good, but
the sports teams aren’t. She loves to hang out on her front porch, or at her
favorite local establishments, enjoy good food and wine, and talk writing with
anyone who will listen.
Thank you for hosting GETTING IT BACK!
ReplyDeleteHappy to be a part of the tour! :)
DeleteThanks for hosting Getting It Back, and for this great review. Since you've read the book, you know that Amy would appreciate receiving "Tiger Stars" and I love that you found the story to be a bit different from what you expected. I appreciate it and thanks again.
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad to be a part of it! It was a great read and I enjoyed it a lot! :)
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